


Safe Inside Your Heart

by KikoRush96



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Hurt feelings, Idiots in Love, M/M, Ride along, Secret Relationship, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 00:26:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13201770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KikoRush96/pseuds/KikoRush96
Summary: Mike and Dolph have a relationship that works (sort of) with their hectic lives as WWE superstars. Sure the world was more accepting of their type of relationship, but they both agreed to just keep it out of the business for their own privacy. After seeing the disgusting hate Renee got for just being with Dean, they both agreed it was best to keep things professional at work.That doesn't mean Mike is really okay with Dolph (jokingly) denying them being together one evening while recording an episode of Ride Along.





	Safe Inside Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Got the idea for this story from the episode of Ride Along they were on. My favorite one by far.
> 
> Now for the disclaimer. Obviously I know nothing of their actual lives or friends. I do not claim to own WWE, The Miz, Ziggler, etc. The story is 100% made up.
> 
> Comments, kudos, and suggestions are always appreciated! Xx

Mike had just finished changing out of his ring gear and into his street clothes when a familiar duffle bag was dropped unceremoniously next to his. As he finished zipping up his own bag, a familiar pair of beat up chucks appeared out of the corner of his eye, propped up on the duffle bag, sweatpant clad ankles crossed. A fond smile fought its way on to his tired face, but he bit his lip harshly before turning around to greet his best friend.

WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler was sitting on one of those uncomfortable wood gym benches and leaning against the wall behind Mike, scrolling through his phone with a bored expression on his face. He'd apparently already showered and gotten dressed (probably well before Mike did), and was just waiting for him to get going.

Lost in his own head, Mike nearly missed what the man before him was saying.

"-don't forget we have to record that episode of Ride Along tonight, so we'll be taking one of the camera cars." Mike nodded, sort of happy and sort of annoyed. He absolutely loved his job, loved being WWE Superstar The Miz, but it had its draw backs. While he wasn't too opposed to cameras being in his face all the time (in fact he sort of loved it), his time with Dolph was special and something he'd rather not have cameras poking around in. Mike reminded himself for the fiftieth time that they agreed to do things this way; that they wanted to keep their private lives, well, private.

"Mikey? You okay?" Dolph looked a little concerned now, bright blue eyes narrowed slightly as he examined his face. Mike shrugged before shouldering his bag, making a mental note to stop by the check-out office for their suitcases since Dolph never remembered. He knew the blonde was never going to accept that answer, so after making sure the wrestler was following him, he explained himself a little further.

"It's just- well, you know how I feel about them butting into our alone time. The drives from town to town are some of my favorites. I'm a little annoyed is all." He heard Dolph sigh deeply to his left, though he kept his eyes straight ahead so he didn't miss the office. It wouldn't be the first time the wrestler had gotten distracted enough to forget their luggage at some arena, forcing them to dish out money for all new clothes. (Which Dolph always complained about and yet did nothing to resolve). 

Shooting a quick glance at Dolph, he hurried into the office to check out their luggage, the lady behind the desk going slightly starry-eyed at him before looking past him where Dolph was probably standing, phone in hand again (did that man ever get off Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram?), her eyes going comically wide. He was (sort of) getting used to the reactions people (women mostly) had when Dolph entered a room and tamping down the jealousy that always flared up. 

After a few seconds of being ignored in favor of the girl openly checking out his best friend, and boyfriend, he cleared his threat loudly, smearing on his best in-ring smile when she whipped her head back towards him, and tapped the sign out sheet he'd initialed already. Her face flushed a painful red before she went into the back to gather their suitcases. 

While she was gone, he turned to lean his back against the high counter and face towards Dolph, who was on his phone as predicted. While his boyfriend grinned goofily at something on the bright white screen, he let his eyes wander over him. 

He wasn't sure when it was supposed to happen, when he was supposed to get over this awestruck 'I'm the luckiest man alive' phase where butterflies erupted in his stomach and he felt like the sun was radiating out of his body every time Dolph did something, or said something, or if someone mentioned him in passing, or even if his brain decided to just casually remind him that "yeah, that's your boy.", and it was kind of scary that it hadn't gone away yet. That he still felt like he was walking on air when Dolph was around. That he was still unsure sometimes if Dolph really felt that same way Mike did; if he felt that same nervousness and excitement when they were together.

"Mike. MIKE." He blinked his eyes a few times, slightly confused as to why he was looking at incredibly muscular legs, before embarrassment washed over him. He flicked his gaze up to Dolph’s eyes, which were looking back at him, eyebrow raised but smirk on full display. Mike scratched a few fingers at the nape of his neck, cheeks absolutely on fire.

"Our luggage? I know I'm quite stunning in my sweats and sleeveless band shirts, but you've got to keep your wits about you so we can get going. Got a long drive ahead." Mike turned to see the check-in girl giving him a weird look, luggage next to her, ready to go. Mentally strangling himself and his stupidly attractive boyfriend, he snatched up the clipboard, signed the dotted line that he had received his (and Dolph’s) luggage, and hauled the heavy bags over the counter, much to the apparent surprise of the young girl.

"Okay, that was pretty hot. Have a good night boys!" She called as Mike stomped out of the room, roughly dragging a very amused Dolph Ziggler behind him. Right as they got out the door, Mike dropped Dolph’s arm and continued to stomp towards the black SUV. Dolph strolled along behind him, chuckling at Mike's expense. 

"Babe slow down. It wasn't that big of a deal! It was just cute and she obviously found it amusing. C’mon babe don't be embarrassed!" Leave it to Dolph to know Mike so well. Fucking prick.

"Let's just get this over with so I can get to sleep." Mike called over his shoulder, marching a little bit faster towards the vehicles. Sometimes, Mike was just a love struck idiot, and he hated it. He was 37 years old. He was supposed to be over that. 

When they finally got to the assigned car (Mike cooled down considerably when the cameras appeared at the car) and had tossed their luggage into the spacious trunk, they climbed into the car (Mike in the driver's seat and Dolph in the passenger) and got into their character/tv mode.

Well, Mike tried to.

In all his years of being on televisions shows, he'd never felt so distracted and disinterested as he did the first half hour of the ride. It had nothing to do with Dolph of course, who was nothing but pleasant about the whole thing, but more to do with the lack of being able to talk about what he wanted to. He was forced to be "The Miz" when all he wanted to do was be Mike.

He was really really exhausted too.

"Hey let's grab some coffee, babe." Mike shot a quick warning glance at Dolph, who must have realized his slip because he cussed lightly under his breath and bit his lip. It was too cute.

"Yeah we can grab some coffee." Coffee made him think of his pets, which he figured would be a great topic for the show, so he launched into this whole story of how he ended up with three animals named after coffee drinks with his ex. He knew Dolph knew all about Pumpkin, Spice, Latte, and Mocha (in fact, Pumpkin was like his little baby, always cuddling with him and on the couch or in bed, much to Mike's annoyance), but it was a safe topic for the show they were on.

He pulled the car into the spot and put it in park, craving a large cup of caffeine and a sugary treat that Dolph was probably going to roll his eyes at (but ask for a bite of anyway, jutting his lip out and preparing to go into a full strop if Mike didn't cave in). 

Dolph grabbed his arm as he was about to climb out, which surprised Mike. He turned to see the blonde giving him a look that said "everything okay?". Aware of the cameras still rolling, but also knowing the editors would take out all of the more personal bits if Mike harassed them enough about it, he leaned in quickly and pressed a fleeting kiss to the left side of Dolph’s cheek, out of view of the camera.

"Let's grab that coffee and get going."

They must have been quite a sight to the pedestrians out and about: Mike dressed in an expensive coat and dark jeans, scarf hanging loosely from his neck, hair neatly combed back, and Dolph dressed in his 'It's Too Bad I'm Too Good' jacket, grey sweatpants, scuffed up chucks, and his hair pulled up with a ponytail holder and a headband. Mike liked how, despite how different they were, they still fit together like puzzle pieces and all that other mushy romance novel stuff.

Just as he went to say something along those lines to Dolph (always keeping in mind the cameras following them), his boyfriend spoke first- to some random person on the street. It was probably just an offhand comedy thing that Dolph was FAMOUS for, knocking himself or his friends for the entertainment of the fans, but Mike was still unprepared for the words that tumbled out of the man's mouth.

"It's okay, we're just friends."

Um....what? Mike felt his lips tighten for a moment, keeping his eyes straight ahead, before he couldn't hold it in. Cameras be damned.

"What did you just say?" He didn't mean to come out so accusatory, but he was a little shocked, okay? He had a right, especially since they'd only been together for a little over a year. To his credit, Dolph looked extremely apologetic. He shot a look to the cameraman in front of him, before looking at Mike. 

"Inside."

 

The inside of the coffee shop was warm, cozy, and best of all, empty. The cameras stayed outside (Mike wasn't really sure why, but he was happy they did all the same). Dolph ordered their coffees, paid for both (with a glare at Mike, who was reaching for his wallet), and then they stood facing each other, something not too foreign considering their business, but foreign all the same because they were closer than anyone knew in real life. They didn't have long, so Dolph cleared his throat at the probing look Mike was sending him.

"Mike, I'm really sorry. Sometimes I do these things without thinking how they'll affect people. I was just being funny, y'know? Since we're just best friends to the fans. But people always joke about how close we are and all that, so I thought it would be funny to, cuz like, we were walking like a couple, and the cameras were rolling...:I'm really sorry, babe. Y'know I love you to the moon and back and all that shit, Mizanin. Never forget it." Then he took a sip of his coffee, eyes steadily on him. Mike, who had been standing stock stiff while he first spoke, was leaning casually against the counter, sipping his coffee and letting his defenses fall.

"Yeah I understand. I'm sorry for getting all pissy. Y'know, for their first ride along, they're gonna have a LOT to edit out. And they thought we were the ones they could depend on!" He paused, looked around, and pressed a kiss to the blonde's pouty lips. Dolph giggled when Mike pulled back and sent him a dramatic wink.

"And for the record, I love you too. Now let's get back to work. The hotel room is calling my name." He spun on his heel and pushed through the door into the chilly evening, Dolph right on his heels.

The rest of the trip was easier then, conversations flowing effortlessly between them as they talked about anything that popped into their brains. When they reached the hotel, Dolph sat back in his seat and sighed deeply, eyes falling closed for a brief moment as Mike cut the engine.

"Penny for your thoughts babe?" Dolph scoffed, face falling into something more familiar to everyone who knew the comedian. A look that promised a joke was coming your way.

"Sorry babe, my thoughts are worth more than a penny! But I might just take other forms of payment." Then he waggled his eyebrows and shot him a cat-that-got-the cream smile. Mike shoved his boyfriend's shoulder roughly at the insinuation, still too aware of the cameras filming their every moment.

Who's idea was it to pair them up again?

"You dirty bastard. Seriously though, anything on your mind?" Dolph answered that with a devilish smile, eyes blazing with humor.

“I was just thinking how much fun this was. That I’m glad I got to spend all these hours with you doing what we do best. We don’t really get to work together for the audiences anymore and I kind of miss it. Also, I’m kind of hungry.” Mike rolled his eyes, leaning forward to press a barely there kiss to a scruffed cheek before pulling back and admiring his view. He wasn’t sure how he looked, maybe hideously exhausted, but he would bet all his money that his feelings were written all over his face.

“Well when we finally get inside, I’ll make you a little snack, and then we can sleep off that coffee and sweets we should not have gotten so late into the evening. I might take me a warm bath first though, because despite how tired I am, my body hurts so bad.” Concern, and something a little more sinister, flickered across the face before him, eyes glittering in mischief but lips staying shut, tilted up in a teasing smirk. Mike was going to sock his head off if he didn’t stop being so damn cute. 

“Maybe we should go in before the camera crew that followed us gets curious as to why we're taking so long. Then you can take your prissy smelling bath and laze about the place in those fluffy bathrobes they supply the guests.” He paused for a moment, snickering and shaking his head. “Boy, I can't wait until the producers get hold of this!” 

Together they stumbled out of the car, the wear and tear of the day really weighing them down, though the sweet taste of their conversation left them smiling. The cameras piled out of the other van, reminding the men of where they were and who they were supposed to be.

“I don't know, I think it was quite successful for their first episode. I mean, I heard New Day are filming with us, so that should be fun. To watch.” Mike spoke as quietly as possible, keeping his back turned as they pulled the heavy bags out of the trunk. Though the blonde didn’t speak, impressively hoisting a heavy bag out with one arm, there was a knowing grin taking over most of his face. Once the trunk was clear, they said their goodnights and signaled the end of the show by heading inside.

Man was it great to be alone again.

***

“Are they freaking serious?”

“I thought they said we could trust them to put on a safe show? Thank the Lord the New Day pulled through for us.” The producers shook their heads as they edited out the sound of yet another bit of dialogue about the apparent ‘secret relationship’ at the request of a very adamant Mike Mizanin. The first producer smiled at the obvious chemistry and affection the two shared, while the other snorted at the awkward sidewalk scene.

“Look at this mess! It’s a wonder these two don’t have people on their trail right now. Good thing most fans don’t care about the personal lives of their favorite stars. Because stuff like this? Dead give away.” He was about to delete it when the first producer stopped him.

“I think we can leave this scene in. I mean, you can tell he’s kidding around, and it’s easy to hide the reaction to the joke, so it can easily be pulled off as a friendly moment.” The second man reluctantly kept the scene, though he cut out the sound for the rest of the footage of them walking to the coffee shop. New Day’s chatter would cover- this time.

“If Mike comes for us about that scene I’m throwing you under the bus. You know, next time we have a show with multiple people, they are not to be paired together. Geeze this is ridiculous! Look at them, all hearty eyes and ridiculously personal conversations. I don’t remember them being this bad on Swerved.” The first man sighed wistfully.

“I don't know; I think it's cute.”

“Yeah, well, next time YOU can edit out all their ‘cute’ moments.”

“Let's just finish this up so we can go.”

“I can't believe they were the ones in this episode that were supposed to be easy to edit; weren't we told it would be New Day that were the troublemakers?”

“Can't fight the power of love!” The second man rolled his eyes.

“Just get back to work.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you for reading!! Xx


End file.
